Corner Stone: Steve's your man

Steve Austin shapes up as a school worker who helps a bullied youngster

Well I don’t think Del Rio is ready to carry that belt

Steve Austin

His new DVD venture is an apt piece of casting - in ‘Born to Fight’ the six time world champion plays a school janitor who takes a bullied kid under his wing and teaches him to box his way out of trouble.

Art imitating life? Perhaps.

In a world where WWE are busting their collective humps to blur the boundaries between reality and fiction, Austin’s particular brand of candour has never been in higher demand.

Wrestlemania rumours are refusing to bite the dust, as CM Punk does his best to pay respects to the master of anti-authority, who told FT where to go this week when we had the temerity to suggest Alberto Del Rio - Bert River to his mates - should have had the belt longer from Cena.

It’s a warm fuzzy feeling getting a promo fired at you with both barrels from a living legend, so here we go.

Steve assured me, “Well I don’t think Del Rio is ready to carry that belt. It’s ok for a short period of time, give him his first mini title run and try to groom him. He’s still got another year or two to go before he learns the US system.

He’s a good looking kid and I know he’s been around Mexico and MMA.

“When I look at that company right now, John Cena is the guy who anchors it all. Some people get mad because they feel like WWE shove it down your throat, but he’s the main guy! Whether you love to hate him or you love to love him - you gotta respect him.

“I have a lot of respect for John - he’s been carrying the company for several years and he comes into work every day with a smile on his face and does all the promotional work and never complains.

It’s no surprise that Austin values the blue collar qualities in Cena’s repertoire - he bring the same to his acting career, happy to be alive and working! He tells FT Cena is in a different class to the pretender, saying, “If you’re going to have him chase you must have a heel worthy of chasing - no disrespect to Del Rio - but Cena is so far higher up on that ladder. Unless you give him a viable heel to chase he should have the belt.

“I tell you John Cena has had some great matches with some great guys - sometimes his body of work gets overlooked, the guy has proven himself over and over again. I call a spade a spade and John has done a tremendous job and he’s got a few years left yet. He’ll keep riding that lightening bolt.

“That’s not his fault - he’s the top guy. All those young guys do not have the experience, have not had the maturation process - if I was new guy in that company I’d be charging forward trying to take the bull by the horns.”

Splendid succour for the embattled ten-time champ - but it is a fair point that Cena has come further than many fans ever expected him to do.

He must work his tail off to elevate Punk and Del Rio to his level of mainstream success starting now. He needs heels.

Perhaps it could be the most selfless chapter of his career, and he’s had a few, as Austin points out.